Status and chemical characteristics of ambient PM2.5 pollutions in China: a review

The ambient fine particulate matter is a considerable hazard to human health and the surrounding environment of the majority of Chinese cities. This article reviews the status of air pollution, especially PM 2.5 , in 21 cities of China, on the basis of their status, chemical characteristics, and regulations data collected from the published literature. The observed results show Zhengzhou, Yulin, Jinan, Qingdao, and Changchun as significantly polluted cities where the annual mean concentration of PM 2.5 was noted to be greater than 120 µg m −3 . However, some cities such as Xiamen, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Jinchang reported average annual PM 2.5 concentrations less than 40 µg m −3 . In general, the results of spatial distribution reported that the cities of the east, north, and northeast China are highly polluted. According to the average mass of PM 2.5 in maximum cities of China, the sum of sulfate, nitrate and ammonium (SNA) and organic matter (OM) contributed over 40 and 35%, respectively. The higher amount of SNA and OM in PM 2.5 results from heavy traffic or vehicle emission and burning solid fuel utilized in most part of China. A proposed systemic approach to address the PM 2.5 in China can improve the quality of ambient atmosphere.